Home Forums Fishing Flyfishing 2 piece vs 4 piece

I'm looking at picking up a new rod for steelhead fishing.

After being out of fly fishing for a long time ("everything" was 2 piece back then), I'm slowly rebuilding my arsenal of gear. I've recently picked up a few rods for trout, etc, and ended up with both 2 and 4 piece models. I can be happy with either.

Now I need a heavier rod for steelhead.

My question is.... I can get the same rod in either 2 or 4 piece versions. Plusses or minuses to either, besides the obvious of the 4 pc breaks down smaller, or the 2 piece costs less? This will be close to home fishing, in my truck, so plane travel or backpacking probably won't be a factor with this one.

The reel, line, etc will all be the same anyway. So, spend the extra money on the 4 pc, or put the difference into other stuff (more flies, small gear, etc)?

if travel is not a concern then i would go with a 2 piece. every joint has some effect on action and strength.

With modern materials, if there's any difference in the way the rod fishes, I can't tell it. A 2 pc is lighter in weight, generally, but much harder to pack.

I would agree with Gene. Technology has come so far with regards to fly rods, you can't tell the flex difference in a 2pc or 4pc. I cant think of a single reason not to get the 4pc.

I agree with Shooter42. Unless forced into a suitcase situation, I'd go with a 2 piece unit for steelhead. The fewer junctions, the less likely it is to come apart while fighting a heavy fish. One puts all kinds of torque and stresses on a rod when going through the creative processes of casting in windy or obstructed environments. A friend has been lucky enough in two instances to wind in both the fish and tip section of his fly rod in heavy water. That's not something I want to do on an extended trip unless there are some spare rods around.

Well, I just placed the order.

I went with the 2 piece, mainly based on price, and no compelling reason (for my circumstances) to spend more on the only real "benefit" of the 4 pc, smaller size.

While the 4 pc was tempting, I don't see me traveling with this rod (I've got lighter 4 pc rods if I ever go somewhere, and those trips would be much more likely to involve trout rather than salmon or steelhead).

The difference in cost went in to a gear bag, so for roughly the same total cash outlay, I also have a nice bag to hold all of the "specialized" fly fishing stuff.

Thanks for the feedback, on both sides.

I also have both 2 and 4 piece rods. I tend to use the 2pc more often around home(in the boat) than the 4pc due to quickness of setup and less joints to come apart when casting. Each has their place in fishing. Mostly personal preference.

I use to swear by two piece rods. Now I have sold them all off and have all four piece excpet for one three piece 3wt.